CEO of Savills UK and Europe, Mark Ridley, commented: “January’s volumes demonstrate that investors are still looking beyond Brexit and are happy to commit to the UK to secure prime property with secure income characteristics. Based upon current projections, driven by a downward shift in equivalent yields, we expect total returns for average UK commercial property to be around 7% this year.”

In its latest report, the Investment Property Forum (IPF) said the outlook for 2018 has improved over the three months since its last survey was conducted, with average rental and capital value growth rates increasing in virtually all sectors.

Its UK Consensus Forecasts report, which surveyed 23 property consultants and fund and investment management houses, showed that the rental value growth average forecast had risen to 0.8% from 0.4% three months ago.

Student property sector stays robust

Student property, as a subset of the commercial property sector, remains a popular investment, boasting a low requirement of capital but yielding high returns.

According to CBRE’s student accommodation index, between 2012 and 2016, annualised returns for the sector totalled an impressive 11.8%. This can be compared to the residential sector at a still respectable, but lower 7.8%, and commercial property as a whole, at 7.4%.

Places at UK’s higher education institutions remain in demand worldwide. EU and non-EU students are the fastest-growing segment, bringing a net benefit of £2.3 billion per annum to London’s economy supporting 60,000 jobs in the capital.

In 2015-16, there were almost half a million non-EU students in the UK, about one-fifth (19.2%) of the 2.3 million total. In the 2017/18 academic year, non-EU applications had risen by 2.2% even while EU applications had fallen ostensibly due to Brexit.

To date, there is a total of 1.7 million full time students in the UK. Of this number, 23% are foreign, bringing the growth of international students in the UK to a whopping 70% from 2006 to 2016.

23% of the 1.7 million fulltime students in UK are foreign. Above, HESA charts the largest international student nationalities in the UK over the past decade (Cushman & Wakefield).

The Government’s recent removal of the student cap will provide more spaces for the large number of foreign students applying to study in the UK, increasing demand for quality student accommodation.

New-build student developments like Natex in Liverpool and Bristol City House in Bristol continue to provide opportunities for the savvy investor thanks to their strategic location in the city centre and proximity to top universities.

UK care homes: fast-growing segment in commercial property sector

Care homes are another fast-growing segment of the commercial property sector. The UK is facing an aging population, with the threat of dementia becoming increasingly prevalent among the elderly. Patients suffering from dementia require specialized care, and living at a care home can ensure they have the best possible quality of life.

Julian Evans, Knight Frank’s Head of Healthcare said that the UK care homes market faces an imminent crisis due to a national shortage of beds. However, this crisis and acute undersupply of care homes has created opportunities for investors, and will continue to drive investor appetite in the coming years.

“The disparity of care bed supply and demand presents increasing opportunities for investors, and, combined with the fall in the sterling, has generated a truly global appetite for the sector.”

Research by ONS revealed that 1 in 4 people will be aged 65 years old in less than 30 years. Alzheimer’s Research states that 850,000 people live with dementia in the UK today. This figure is expected to balloon to two million by 2050. However, the supply of beds at care homes in the UK are not enough to meet this burgeoning demand.

CSI Prop proudly promotes international investment property with high yields at low risk. Our portfolio comprises residential and commercial property including student accommodation and carehomes, in cities across the United Kingdom (London, Luton, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Glasgow, Scotland; Sheffield, etc) and Australia (Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane). Our projects are concentrated in high-growth areas with great educational, infrastructural and job growth potentials. We aspire to make a difference in the lives of our clients by helping them achieve their investment goals through strong market research backed by third party experts and due diligence.

Disclaimer: CSI Prop does not provide tax & legal advice and accepts no liability. Readers are encouraged to consult a qualified tax or legal advisor for a thorough review.

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